Prospects for producing more pulp fibre per hectare in South Africa

There is considerable scope for more efficient use of resources (including water) in the South African pulp and paper industry through manipulation of the raw material. The possibility of increasing the quantity of pulp that is produced per hectare of land (fibre production) is investigated for the following: • the use of alternative raw materials to wood • more efficient use of the present wood resource • tree breeding to genetically improve the wood Alternative fibre sources for the pulp industry such as kenaf, sisal and hemp have been identified in laboratory investigations. None, however, have been found to produce significantly greater quantities of pulp fibre than wood. The most effective means of improving fibre production in the short term is shown to be through fibre classification and separation in the processing unit and, where practically possible, through clonal forestry in the field. In the longer term, tree breeding is expected to provide the greatest improvement.